China may lift console ban

At the dawn of the millennium, Chinese authorities implemented a law banning all consoles from being sold within China, as a measure to "protect children’s mental and physical health". Today, an official Chinese newspaper has sparked rumors that the ban may be removed. In November 2012, Sony got a certification (lasting until 2016) that could be seen as an early step towards the removal of the ban.

You may be interested to read that game consoles such as the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 are banned in China, however, online gaming and games on mobile devices are extremely common. Companies will be wishing for the removal of the ban, as it will give one billion people the opportunity to buy consoles; perhaps giving current consoles a new lease of life. Furthermore, it could open up a whole new industry within China: Game retailers - which would further stimulate their economy!

The China Daily quoted an unnamed source from the ministry of culture, saying “We are reviewing the policy and have conducted some surveys and held discussions with other ministries on the possibility of opening up the game console market. However, since the ban was issued by seven ministries more than a decade ago, we will need approval from all parties to lift it.”

However, an official at the ministry's cultural market department, which is responsible for the legislation, denied the report. "The ministry is not considering lifting the ban" the official, who identified himself only as Bai, told Reuters. Devices such as Microsoft Kinect or PlayStation Move, may be the key to the removal of the ban; with such devices proving both exercise and entertainment.

The news spread quickly, giving Sony a 9.1% and Nintendo a 3.4% boosts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange. These figures are the highest in almost a year for Sony's stock, and the highest since December for Nintendo. Microsoft were not listed within the figures.

There is yet to be any official conformation, but the news may mean we see an influx in the number of Chinese gamers playing online. Do you think the ban should be removed? Discuss below.